New on the menu at the Raven and the Peach, Coconut Shrimp. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
The elegant Raven and the Peach, a showplace on River Road in Fair Haven, has brought in chef Darryl Harmon to revamp its menu.
Harmon is a busy, ambitious man, splitting his time between this restaurant and several others. Chef/owner of On the Edge Events, a catering company, he’s also the executive chef at Mana Bistro in Jersey City and a “brand ambassador” for Certified Angus Beef. The American Culinary Federation has named him chef of the year, making him an award-winner, as well.
Taking a few minutes out of his busy schedule, Harmon sat down with PieHole in the upstairs Casablanca Ballroom to discuss his vision for the Raven and the Peach.
He envisions a more relaxed bar scene with unique menu choices, as well as the comfort of a dependably delicious and healthy menu.
“No antibiotics or chemicals should be fed to the animals,” he said, and added that the pork comes from Nebraska. When asked if it isn’t more expensive to bring in pork from so far away, he said, “sometimes pricing is not the issue. It’s cheaper to get unprocessed meat from a smaller farm.”
Leaning toward basic Continental, the original menu has now been separated into sections: one leaning heavily on a traditional steakhouse theme featuring organic, all-natural beef.
A raw bar menu, and a separate tapas bar menu will also be available.
“I  want to be a celebrity chef,” Harmon said before we parted. With his fingers in restaurants in three states, this award winning chef is well on his way. He’s already got his own website, where he name-drops celebrities he’s cooked for – including former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf – shares his favorie clothing and accessories, and offers up “D’s Mix Tape.”
